Crumbled Dreams
by whisperasweknowit
Summary: SkyClan was reborn. They thrived for moons when Firestar and Sandstorm left. But when disaster strikes the gorge, the 5th Clan are left homeless. They must chase a faint ray of hope to find a new home or else be destroyed. BLAZING DESIRE BOOK 1
1. Chapter 1

**A.N. The Allegiances are below Chapter One. :D This fic takes place **_**long**_** after 'Firestar's Quest.' It's around Fading Echoes.**

**Disclaimer: I _do not_ own Warriors. However, every cat in this story belongs to me except for the later mentions of Leafstar, Echosong, Tinykit, Bouncekit, Mintkit, Thymekit, and Rockkit. The storyline is also mine.**

Puddlekit yawned. She blinked her eyes to adjust to the sunlight that dappled the floor of the den. The stone floor was carpeted in moss, but Puddlekit was still a little cold. The walls of rock around her were always cool, refusing to soak up any heat. Sunlight barely ever reached past the middle of the den, anyway. The she-cat crawled over towards the light, careful not to disturb her den mates. She purred quietly as the warmth seeped into her fluffy gray fur.

Around her were seven more sleeping forms, snoring slightly. Her sisters, Mistkit and Spottedkit, were curled up together. Her brother, Beetlekit, was not far off, his tail curled over his nose. Sagepatch was snoring lightly close to her kits. Copperspots had her tail loosely around her own offspring; Lionkit and Spiderkit.

Bored, Puddlekit looked out of the den curiously, setting her tiny paws on the path up the side of the gorge. Below her she could see Meadowpaw padding out of the apprentice's den, stretching. She could spot Fawnstep setting herbs out to dry in the early morning light. She saw the gently rising and falling pelts of Smudgenose and Gingerflight in the elder's den. She shrank back as Bristlehaze brushed past her, not noticing her as she pressed herself against the wall of the den. Just as she was about to creep back out, she felt a set of jaws pick her up lightly.

Copperspots set her down next to her littermates. "You have to be careful," her mother scolded quietly, not wanting to wake the other cats in the den. "You could get underpaw of a warrior or you could slip and fall off the path." With that, the black and brown she-cat retreated farther into the den, pausing to yawn before collapsing on the moss to sleep a little longer.

Puddlekit nodded, partially ignoring the queen. She had heard this lecture a thousand times before. As her eyes wandered over the cats around her, she noticed Spottedkit opening her eyes. The tortoiseshell she-cat gently pushed herself away from the sleeping form of Mistkit. She made her way over to Puddlekit, a gentle smile on her face.

"Morning," she yawned.

The gray she-cat smiled at her sister. "Hi!"

"Shh," Copperspots mewed softly, barely awake and looking fondly at Lionkit and Spiderkit. Puddlekit flicked her tail in lazy acknowledgement.

"What do you want to do today?" She asked her sister softly.

Spottedkit thought for a second. "Hey…aren't we six moons today?" She wondered.

Puddlekit contemplated this. She remembered Beetlekit raving about being an apprentice recently and Spiderkit complaining about how he was only five moons. "Yeah!" She exclaimed, forgetting about being quiet.

As Puddlekit cried out, Beetlekit and Mistkit woke up. Beetlekit snuggled into the moss, annoyed. "Hey," he whined. Mistkit was a little more gracious about this, shaking her head a little to rid herself of sleepiness before moving to stand behind her sisters. "What was that about?" Mistkit inquired.

"We're six moons today!" Puddlekit grinned.

She didn't notice Spiderkit sneak up behind her. The black tom pounced on her tail. "Hey!" She shouted. _Oops…_Puddlekit thought to herself.

"You may be a moon older, but I can still beat you in a fight," Spiderkit teased. But before the two could launch into a mock-battle, Sagepatch woke up, placing a paw in-between the two.

"It's too early," she informed the kits. All five of them nodded their heads silently, settling down.

"Now what?" Spottedkit whispered.

"I don't know," Spiderkit responded.

Lionkit let out a quiet yawn, waking up. "Look! Lionkit's up!" Mistkit pointed out softly.

The dark golden tom joined the other five kits, completing their circle. "Hi," he murmured.

As the sun rose higher above the horizon, the kits talked and laughed softly, allowing the queens to sleep. Eventually, Sagepatch woke up again, permitting the six to play. Copperspots was soon awake as well, urging the kits to get out of the den.

Puddlekit led them to the clearing by the Apprentice's den. Copperspots came as well, followed by Sagepatch, to make sure that no one fell in the shallow river. "Let's play battle!" Beetlekit declared. "I'll be Beetlestar, leader of SkyClan!"

"Why do you get to be leader?" Spiderkit whined. "Spiderstar is a much nicer name!"

"I'm older," Beetlekit informed him. "Now, my warriors will be Lionheart and Puddlesplash! You three," he commanded, pointing with his tail to Spiderkit, Mistkit, and Spottedkit. "Can be the evil rouges: Spider, Mist, and Spot."

"I don't want to be evil…" Spottedkit murmured.

Puddlekit shrugged. "Let's just play."

But before the game could began, Ravenstar let out a yowl. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather below the Skyrock for a Clan meeting!"

Sagepatch led the kits along the wall of the gorge to the space below the Skyrock. All six sat quietly at the edge of the clearing, not technically old enough to attend the meeting. Puddlekit watched, mystified, as the Clan cats emerged from their dens and spilled into the clearing. She could see Creekstone, the clan deputy, and Thymepaw, the Medicine Cat apprentice. She watched as Thornstrike, Darkmoon, Jayspots, and the rest of the warriors gathered. Smudgenose and Gingerflight padded slowly towards the rest of the Clan.

"We are gathered here to give four Clan kits their apprentice names," Ravenstar began. "Puddlekit, Mistkit, Beetlekit, and Spottedkit, step forward," he requested of the four excited young cats.

* * *

**ALLEGIANCES**

SkyClan

**Leader:** Ravenstar- Huge black tom with scary dark blue eyes

**Deputy:** Creekstone- Dark golden tom with icy blues

**Medicine Cat:** Fawnstep- Light brown she-cat with flecks of white on her back and flanks; brown eyes

**Apprentice: Thymepaw**

**Medicine Cat Apprentice:** Thymepaw- Small, cream-colored tom with piercing dark green eyes

**Warriors:** Willowmist- Small, pretty silver-brown she-cat with soft green eyes

**Apprentice: Meadowpaw**

Bristlehaze- Large sandy-colored tom with faint ginger stripes and dark blue eyes

Thornstrike- Large dark brown tom with dark amber eyes

Tawnythroat- Sandy-colored she-cat with a darker patch of tawny on her throat and chest; green eyes

**Apprentice: Scorchpaw**

Weaselstep- Dark reddish-brown tom with a white chest and underbelly; dark amber eyes

Jayspots- Bright silver tom with two splotches of black on his back; dark blue eyes

Aspenfrost- Large white tom with two splashes of black on his back; has a black paw and ear; green eyes.

Smokestripe- Large smoky-gray tom with a wide stripe of white across his back; dark blue eyes

**Apprentice: Cedarpaw**

Icedew- Big cream-colored tom with dark blue eyes

Darkmoon- Off-white-colored tom with dark blue eyes

Cloud-dew- Small white she-cat with sparkling blue eyes

**Apprentice: Creampaw**

**Apprentices:** Meadowpaw- Light brown she-cat with a white chest and paws; green eyes

**Mentor: Willowmist**

Cedarpaw- Dark brown tom with black flecks and dark amber eyes

**Mentor: Smokestripe**

Creampaw- Pure white she-cat with dark amber eyes

**Mentor: Cloud-dew**

Scorchpaw- Dark reddish-brown tom with dark amber eyes

**Mentor: Tawnythroat**

Thymepaw- Small, cream-colored tom with piercing dark green eyes

**Mentor: Fawnstep**

**Queens:** Sagepatch- Small light gray she-cat with black patches on her back and green eyes.

Kits: Lionkit and Spiderkit

Copperspots- Sleek black she-cat with sandy flecks on her back; ice blue eyes

Kits: Puddlekit, Mistkit, Beetlekit, and Spottedkit

**Kits:** Puddlekit- Fluffy gray she-cat with ice blue eyes

Mistkit- Skinny black she-cat with green eyes

Beetlekit- Fuzzy russet-colored tom with green eyes

Spottedkit- Tortishell she-cat with amber eyes

Lionkit- Fluffy dark golden tom with green eyes

Spiderkit- Black tom with one green eye and one blue eye

**Elders:** Smudgenose- Pure white tom with a spot of black on/around his nose; blue eyes

Gingerflight- Ginger she-cat with dark amber eyes


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N. Thanks to everyone for all the helpful ConCrit. :D**

Puddlekit trembled with excitement. She was finally going to become an apprentice. She looked around briefly at the Clan. She couldn't help but notice a few slightly skeptical stares. The fluffy gray she-cat was confused for a second. _Is there something wrong with us becoming apprentices?_ She wondered sadly.

Then she recollected a scene from when she was two moons old. Puddlekit had been sitting outside the nursery, curious about what the rest of the Clan was like.

_Fawnstep padded slowly out of the leader's den. The sun was setting behind the horizon. The sky was bright with stripes of color as the dying light bathed the camp in a dusky glow. Overhead the first stars were appearing, twinkling innocently from far away._

"_What's wrong?" Ravenclaw asked the gentle she-cat, concern lacing his voice._

"_Leafstar…" Fawnstep trailed off._

"_Yes?" Ravenclaw questioned. Leafstar had been fighting with greencough for a fortnight. It was almost New Leaf, and the Clan was hopeful that their leader would recover. No one but Fawnstep knew that SkyClan's leader was on her last life._

"_She's in StarClan now."_

_Ravenclaw gasped quietly. "I thought she had three lives left!"_

"_She didn't," Fawnstep responded softly._

"_So that means…"_

"_You are our leader now, Ravenclaw," the medicine cat informed him kindheartedly. She rested her soft brown tail on the shoulder of the large tom. She knew he would be a wonderful leader. He just had to find it in himself._

Puddlekit almost sighed aloud. This was the first ceremony Ravenstar had ever performed. _So what?_ She asked herself. _It's not like he's going to mess up. Stupid cats. They should have faith in the cat who vowed to lead SkyClan._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the continuation of the ceremony.

"Darkmoon, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You will be mentor to Mistpaw. Darkmoon, you have shown yourself to be very loyal and an excellent opponent in battle. Do all that you can to pass on all you know to Mistpaw.

"Thornstrike, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You will be mentor to Beetlepaw. Thornstrike, you have shown yourself to be very strong and bold. Do all that you can to pass on all you know to Beetlepaw.

"Creekstone, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You will be mentor to Spottedpaw. Creekstone, you have shown yourself to be smart and fiercely loyal. Do all that you can to pass on all you know to Spottedpaw."

Puddlekit couldn't help a tiny sigh as her sister got the Clan deputy as her mentor. Not only that, but Creekstone was also their father. It was only natural to be a little jealous of her sweet sister. But the bad feelings couldn't last as she remembered that she was next.

"Bristlehaze, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You will be mentor to Puddlepaw. Bristlehaze, you have shown yourself to be a wonderful fighter and level-headed in times on peril. Do all that you can to pass on all you know to Puddlepaw."

With Ravenstar done speaking, the four new apprentices touched noses with their mentors as the Clan cheered their names.

"Mistpaw! Beetlepaw! Spottedpaw! Puddlepaw! Mistpaw! Beetlepaw! Spottedpaw! Puddlepaw!"

Puddlepaw wasn't exactly happy with her mentor. She had always been slightly afraid of Bristlehaze. He was _huge_, for one thing. He was pure muscle. His fangs and claws were abnormally large. His dark blue eyes often smoldered with anger, making cats fear him. He could easily been seen as evil, and Puddlepaw was frightened that her new mentor could kill her easily. It was terrifying for the small cat.

She watched her littermates for their reactions. Spottedpaw was clearly ecstatic, her amber eyes sparkling with joy. Mistpaw's reaction seemed a little more like Puddlepaw's. She couldn't blame her sister, either. Darkmoon was another scary-looking cat.

The off-white tom was also quite large. His fur was shaggy around his throat and chest, making him look rugged. His fangs were even larger than Bristlehaze's. The curved white teeth could barely be contained by the warrior's lips.

Puddlepaw shook the stream of thoughts from her head. It was wrong to think that her Clan mates were evil. They had never brought any harm to the Clan before, and there was no reason to be frightened of them just because they looked a little creepy.

Lastly, the gray she-cat looked to Beetlepaw. The tom had yet another scary looking cat for his mentor, but he didn't seem phased. The russet-colored tom was rather large himself, and he would probably end up looking a little creepy as a warrior, too. His green eyes were only full of excitement. Puddlepaw couldn't find even a glint of fear. _Toms…_

Just as Puddlepaw was about to turn to her mentor and ask when they would start training, she heard a rumble.

Evidently, she wasn't the only one. She watched as a few cats looked up in terror. Other cats simply ignored it. Puddlepaw looked up to the sky, wondering if it was thunder. The sky was a little cloudy, but it certainly didn't look like there was a storm approaching.

"What's going on?" She asked Bristlehaze.

The sandy-colored tom opened his mouth to answer, but he was cut off as another rumble was heard. The ground began shaking. Puddlepaw heard quite a few shrieks of terror erupt from the mouths of the cats around her. She stared up in fright at the walls of the gorge. She watched as a few rocks tumbled down the sides. That was all she managed to see before Fawnstep screeched, "Get out of the gorge!"

Puddlepaw didn't stop to think. She raced along the middle of the gorge, afraid to get too close to either of the walls. She had to get to the fallen tree, where the gorge ended. Larger rocks were breaking off from the walls where she had lived for the past six moons. Her home was tumbling down towards her. The stone that had protected her since she was born now seemed like it wanted to destroy her.

The Clan was lucky that no cats had been in their dens.

She spotted Ravenstar racing along the top of the gorge, searching for cats that needed help as he ran. He stayed a fox-length away from the drop off, worried that a chunk would break off and send him plummeting towards the sandy ground.

Copperspots was struggling to run with both her kits in her mouth. Both could run by themselves, but the queen was afraid they would fall behind. Puddlepaw doubled back and took Spiderkit from her. She was caught off guard by the weight. Smokestripe appeared at her side, taking his kit from her and allowing her to run.

Puddlepaw screamed as a rock fell right behind her, catching the tip of her tail. She yanked herself out, ignoring the pain. She was almost at the fallen tree. Another chunk of the gorge fell into the river, sending up huge walls of water. Puddlepaw was soaked by the now dirty water and her eyes were stinging from the sand that had been flung into them by the large splash.

The she-cat had somehow made it out of the gorge alive. She retreated a little ways into the forest where she knew the SkyClan warriors hunted often. Ravenstar showed up, followed by Creekstone and Beetlepaw. Copperspots and Smokestripe arrived with their kits. The rest of the Clan was either still in the gorge or taking refuge somewhere else.

Puddlepaw began to groom the water from her fur, wanting a distraction from the terror. The ground had stopped shaking; that part had only lasted for a short series of moments. But the rocks continued falling, torn from their resting place by the disturbance in the ground.

The water that had been splashed into her eyes was gone, but the stinging remained. Tears began falling down her cheeks, moistening the grass. She felt Creekstone rest his tail on her shoulder.

"It's going to be ok," the deputy promised his daughter.

Slowly, Puddlepaw looked into her father's eyes. The orbs that were usually an icy blue stare were now filled with worry and fear. Even the Clan deputy wasn't made of stone.

"You don't mean that," she whispered to the tom.

Creekstone's eyes only grew wider. "I can't oppose StarClan…" he murmured.

"Do you really think StarClan made this happen?" Puddlepaw asked her father quietly.

"I-I don't know," he confessed. "I just don't know."


	3. Chapter 3

Puddlepaw rested her head on her father's shoulder, looking out into the gorge. The rocks had stopped falling for the most part. But where were the rest of her Clan mates? Puddlepaw let her gaze study the rocks, looking around for any cat that might need help.

"Where is everybody?" She asked Creekstone. Her voice trembled slightly as if she was about to cry. _Don't cry_, she told herself. _It won't make anything better._

The deputy opened his mouth but no words came out. He shut his jaws, choosing his words carefully. He opened his mouth again, this time to speak. "They could have escaped somewhere else..." he trailed off. _Or they could have died in the gorge_, the tom added to himself.

Puddlepaw was going to inquire further when she heard a cry out for help. She didn't know where it came from, but she saw Ravenstar leap into action. Puddlepaw followed. The gray she-cat was terrified of being useless. She quickly spotted the cat who had cried out. It was Mistpaw.

Her sister was stuck. She had been next to the wall of the gorge when a rock fell, catching her tail beneath it. Apparently, Puddlepaw had been lucky when she escaped from her own encounter with one of the chunks of the gorge. Mistpaw screeched as a second boulder fell, pinning her against the wall of stone.

"Creekstone!" Ravenstar called. He motioned for the tom to come, beckoning to Puddlepaw as well.

The new apprentice stood shakily beside her leader. Mistpaw was struggling vainly against the sandy rock. Puddlepaw could see tears in her sister's eyes. Creekstone arrived at the scene. Puddlepaw saw her father's eyes widen slightly at the sight of his trapped daughter. The skinny black she-cat was pressed up against the wall uncomfortably.

"What's keeping her from getting out?" The deputy asked, wondering why the small cat couldn't slip out. There was certainly enough space for that.

"The first mouse-length or so of her tail is caught under a rock," Ravenstar meowed, concerned.

"How are we going to get her out?" Puddlepaw asked fretfully. There wasn't enough space for the large toms to squeeze in a push the rocks.

Ravenstar closed his eyes slowly. He looked thoughtful. Puddlepaw looked doubtfully at the rocks surrounding her sister. Mistpaw had given up. She flopped down on what little ground she could get. She let out a quiet whimper. Puddlepaw's heart melted. She sat down beside her sister, licking the top of her head.

The SkyClan leader opened his eyes suddenly. "Mistpaw? Is the rock on your side in any way in your path?"

Mistpaw looked up. She wiggled a little. "If I move to the side, then no."

"Then move to the side. We're going to push the second rock away," Ravenstar told her.

The small cat nodded, squishing up to the side of the gorge. Ravenstar pressed his shoulder up to the side of the second rock. He flicked his tail, signaling for Creekstone to join him. Puddlepaw moved to help, too, but Ravenstar pushed her back lightly with his hind leg. The gray she-cat felt rejected, but she stayed away anyway.

Slowly, the large toms began to push the rock out of the way. Puddlepaw watched with wide eyes as her sister was revealed. There was a large scrape on her side. The blood had mainly stopped flowing with just a few drops still oozing out. Most of the red liquid had dried on the black she-cat's fur. Puddlepaw gasped quietly.

When the rock was out of the way, the two toms stopped to catch their breath. "Now what?" Puddlepaw asked softly. She watched as Creekstone carefully wedged his paw between the ground and the rock. Ravenstar copied him. He motioned for Puddlepaw to come over.

"Let us know when there's enough space for Mistpaw to slip out," he instructed her. Puddlepaw nodded solemnly, placing herself where she could see Mistpaw's tail.

The two toms began to heave upwards. Mistpaw struggled to get out, not wanting to miss the point where she could before the toms strength was gone and she was stuck for good. As she tore at the ground and tried to pull herself out, nothing happened. Ravenstar sat back on his paws.

"It's too heavy."

Mistpaw stopped struggling, looking up at the large black tom. "Wh-What?"

"We can't move the rock."

Mistpaw broke into sobs. Creekstone let a few tears escape his own eyes. He gently licked the top of Mistpaw's head, moving to clean the dried blood from her soft pelt. His tongue rasped steadily over the wound in time to Mistpaw's crying. Puddlepaw was too shocked to cry. She just stared blankly at the cats around her, looking to the rocks and the ground and wondering.

Puddlepaw focused her eyes on the claw marks Mistpaw and left before her. "Wait!" The fluffy gray cat cried.

The three other cats turned to look at her. Puddlepaw pointed at the shallow hole with her tail. "If we dig a deep enough hole around Mistpaw's tail, it'll slip out!"

Ravenstar looked at Puddlepaw, a smile on his face. "Good work!" He praised. He got to work clawing at the ground around Mistpaw's tail. Creekstone joined the SkyClan leader. Mistpaw moved to the side a little so Puddlepaw could get on the side next to the gorge and work that end.

Soon, a small pit had formed underneath the side of the rock. Mistpaw slid out from underneath, tears still lingering in her eyes. She nuzzled Puddlepaw with a weak smile. "Thank you," she whispered in her sister's ear. "If it wasn't for you, I'd be left to die."

Puddlepaw couldn't manage a smile, so she just did so with her eyes. "You know I'd never let that happen, right? You're my sister," she promised her.

Mistpaw nodded feebly. "Where is everyone else?"

"I don't know," Puddlepaw told her honestly. "The only cats I've seen besides you, Ravenstar, and Creekstone are Beetlepaw, Lionkit, Spiderkit, Copperspots, and Smokestripe."

"What do you think happened to them?"

"I-I don't know. Dad says they could have found refuge somewhere else…" she trailed off.

"Or died."

Puddlepaw looked into her sister's eyes. They were a watery green, still marred by tears. But they were fixed on the gray cat seriously. Puddlepaw was a little intimidated by her sister's need to tell it like it is.

"Yeah…" she mewed quietly. "Or they're d-dead."

Just then, Puddlepaw was hit on the nose by a fat drop of rain. She looked up, noticing that the clouds had thickened since the last time she had observed them. Above her was a dense layering of gray that was sending raindrops down on the gorge. Creekstone gently nudged the two she-cats. "We should get back to the others."

Slowly, both sisters nodded, following their father. They returned to the trees, where the other cats were lying. "Did anyone new come?" Puddlepaw inquired.

"No," Copperspots told her gently.

Puddlepaw turned to her father. "The cats that are in the gorge... Will-"

The apprentice was cut off by Ravenstar. "Why do you speak like there are cats still trapped?" He questioned angrily. "You act as if you want them dead! Have hope!"

She shrank back. "I just-"

"No," Ravenstar meowed firmly. "Say nothing. We must look to StarClan and pray our Clan mates are alright."


	4. Chapter 4

Ravenstar glared coldly at the tiny apprentice. Puddlepaw almost let out a whimper, deciding at the last second that it would be better to just stay quiet. The last part was easier than the she-cat expected. A large crack of thunder rumbled overhead, drowning out all other noise. The rain started falling harder, fighting its way through the canopy above the bedraggled cats. Puddlepaw retreated farther into the forest, hoping the leaves above would thicken. Her Clanmates followed her slowly. The gray cat shivered slightly. It was barely New Leaf, and the territory was cold without the sunshine. The raindrops were colder than the young cat had ever remembered them. The nine cats huddled up to each other for warmth.

"Hello?"

Puddlepaw looked up as she heard a voice. The sodden cats around her did the same, assuring her that she wasn't hearing things. Ravenstar distanced himself from the group, facing the direction where the voice had sounded from. He sniffed the air carefully, trying to scent out who was nearby through the rain.

The large tom lowered his nose, looking thoughtful. The leader had always been a fairly decent tracker. "Fawnstep?" He asked carefully.

An average-sized brown she-cat emerged from in-between the trees, heading towards the disheveled group of cats. Her back and flanks were speckled with tiny white spots, making her easily recognizable to the cats. Her white paws and underbelly were covered in mud. She observed the group with her soft brown eyes. She quickly focused her gaze on Mistpaw.

"What happened?" Fawnstep demanded, looking over the large scrape on Mistpaw's side.

Mistpaw trembled at the recollection of the recent event. "I was running when a rock fell and caught the tip of my tail…" The skinny black she-cat paused for a moment to sniffle. "Another one fell, squishing me up to the side of the gorge…" Mistpaw took a deep, shuddering breath. "If it wasn't for Puddlepaw, I'd still be there."

Fawnstep nodded slowly, assessing the scratch. "The wound looks surprisingly clean…"

"I did that," Creekstone told her. "We thought we weren't going to be able to get her out and…"

Puddlepaw watched as her father was consumed by his emotions. She had never seen the deputy so unrestrained. He usually held such power over what he felt inside. Puddlepaw could never remember being able to read anything in her father's eyes. Now he was telling her everything without uttering a word.

The gray she-cat looked up as Fawnstep sighed. "What's wrong?" Puddlepaw asked, worried.

"All my herbs are buried under the rubble. I doubt I'll be able to find anything in this rain. Even if the sky was clear, it's just so early in New Leaf…" Fawnstep ranted. "Echosong would have known what to do."

Ravenstar jolted at the sound of the former medicine cat's name. "You were her apprentice," Ravenstar encouraged Fawnstep. "You know everything she did."

"She shouldn't have died…"

Puddlepaw didn't remember much of the previous medicine cat. The she-cat had died when Puddlepaw was scarcely a moon old, making the death of Leafstar even more devastating. All the apprentice could remember of Echosong were a few faint memories of when the silver cat came to check on Sagepatch's litter every now and again. The last memory of the medicine cat was when she delivered Copperspots' kits. She hadn't lived to return to the nursery much more to see the new kits.

No one ever told Puddlepaw exactly how Echosong died. The news of her death wasn't spoken of in front of the kits save for one time. When Puddlepaw asked about it then, she was ignored.

"How did she die?" Puddlepaw ventured quietly.

The array of cats turned to look at the fluffy gray she-cat. Puddlepaw flattened her ears in embarrassment. She looked away from them, hoping she would be forgotten instead of reprimanded.

"She has a right to know…" Creekstone meowed softly.

Puddlepaw looked in shock at her father, not expecting him to say anything, let alone back her up. The she-cat briefly cast her father a thankful look before turning to look at Ravenstar. SkyClan's leader was sitting back on his powerful haunches. His eyes were closed and his face was raised up to the sky. The raindrops landed with quiet splashes on his waterlogged fur. Just when Puddlepaw had decided she wasn't getting an answer, Ravenstar lowered his head to look at her.

"Echosong was poisoned."

The young cat held Ravenstar's smoldering gaze with some difficulty, aiming not to loose eye contact. "How?"

"Twolegs," the leader hissed. "They were poisoning squirrels. A few of the tainted rodents made it to our fresh-kill pile, killed by us before the poison could take care of them. Echosong ate one, and the poison moved from the body of the one she'd consumed into her own, killing her. No one realized she had poisoned until it was too late. She was too kind-hearted to complain about her own health."

Slowly, the apprentice nodded. She could feel the grief in the air around her. _It was a bad time to ask_, she told herself. _Look at yourself. You've only added to everyone's grief._ Puddlepaw let out a tiny sigh. "Thank you. For telling me, I mean," she mewed softly.

Ravenstar gave the apprentice a quick nod. It was evident to the small cat that the leader was fighting his own emotions. Puddlepaw turned away, moving to sit by Mistpaw. Her sister was still being looked over by Fawnstep. She heard the medicine cat sigh.

"I don't want you to get an infection, but this isn't a good time to head over to the Twolegplace for marigold," Fawnstep meowed. "And any cobwebs would have been destroyed by the rain."

The group of cats sat in silence for a while. The raindrops pattered on the rocks and leaves steadily. Puddlepaw couldn't help but feel a little more at home. She used to love to lie in the nursery and listen to the rain landing on the path rhythmically. Finally, there was the sound of a cat standing up.

"I guess I'll go look for some dock, and hopefully I'll find a dried oak leaf. Or at least one that is partially so," Fawnstep announced.

"Take Puddlepaw," Ravenstar told her. "No one should go out alone at this time."

His words were only heightened in meaning as a large strike of lightening flashed overhead. Fawnstep looked at her leader, a confused look in her eyes. "She's never been out of camp before, though."

Puddlepaw was a little hurt by these words, but she knew that Fawnstep was right. "Just take her," Ravenstar growled.

Fawnstep dipped her head towards her leader before beckoning with her tail for Puddlepaw to follow. The fluffy gray apprentice followed quietly, listening to the thunder overhead. The medicine cat led her deep into the forest, where the trees were taller and less rain got through. It was only mid-day, so it wasn't as dark as it would have been had the storm been going on at night.

"What are we looking for?" Puddlepaw asked timidly.

"Dock leaves and dried oak leaves," Fawnstep told her. "Dock leaves are long green leaves that grow in short bunches. Oak leaves are these," the she-cat meowed, holding up a few of the soaking leaves on her claws. "See if you can find any dry ones."

The apprentice nodded, beginning to scrabble around in the leaves for ones that weren't soaking. While less rain fell here, the water had still managed to soak through what seemed like all the leaves. Puddlepaw moved closer to the trunk of the nearest tree, continuing to search. She ended up with three completely dry leaves. Fawnstep soon appeared behind her with a few dock leaves in her jaws. She motioned to the she-cat that it was time to head back. Puddlepaw followed obediently, trying to shelter the leaves she was carrying from the rain.

When the two cats reached the other seven Puddlepaw passed the oak leaves on to Fawnstep. The medicine cat immediately got to work on Mistpaw's scratch. The oak leaves were to stop infection. She crushed them into a poultice and dressed the wound with them. She then chewed up the dock leaves into a pulp, spreading the juices over the long scrape to soothe the stinging.

"You'll want to keep that out of the rain as much as possible," Fawnstep instructed the she-cat, noting that the drops could easily wash away the herbs. Mistpaw nodded, understanding. She turned to lie on her stomach. Puddlepaw, who was slightly larger, lay so the two were almost touching. The fluffy fur of the larger cat slightly sheltered the cut from the persistent rain.

As the two sisters settled down, Ravenstar stood up.


	5. Chapter 5

Puddlepaw looked expectantly up at Ravenstar. The large tom's dark blue eyes were glinting with what seemed to the apprentice like hope. She noticed that the rain had been reduced to a slight drizzle. The clouds overhead were still thick and gray, but it was clear that the worst of the storm was over. She heard a faint rumble of thunder in the distance.

Her train of thought was interrupted by Ravenstar. "Cats of SkyClan," the leader began. "It is obvious that not all of our Clan are present. It is likely that some still remain in the gorge."

He paused for a moment there. Puddlepaw understood that he found it hard to admit that some cats may have died in there. Earlier he had snapped at her for even bringing it up. She watched as the leader slowly inhaled through his nose, exhaling softly.

"If any cats remain in the gorge, we must find them."

A murmur of shock spread through the eight cats sitting before Ravenstar. Puddlepaw saw Creekstone nodding as if in a trance. Smokestripe was doing the same. Copperspots began to nod, and the action spread like a disease throughout the rest of the cats.

"Then it is decided," Ravenstar declared. "We will disperse and comb the gorge for cats." The tom pointed at Lionkit and Spiderkit with his tail. "Copperspots, you'll stay here with the kits. Beetlekit and Fawnstep will stay with you."

Beetlepaw didn't have the sense to not oppose the leader in a time like this. "What?" He squeaked indignantly.

Ravenstar turned to glare at the apprentice. He couldn't stay like that, though. The tom knew his Clan needed him to pull them through, not tear them apart. "Copperspots and Fawnstep can't stay alone, but we need all our few warriors. A strong apprentice like you will suit the position perfectly."

His ego stroked, Beetlepaw brightened up. He puffed out his chest, standing with a regal air. Mistpaw stood up shakily. "Do I have to go back to the gorge?" She asked quietly. Not only was her wound bothering her, but she was quite afraid of the place now.

"You can stay with your brother," Ravenstar promised her. He turned to look at the others. "Only four cats," he mewed. "Smokestripe, you come with me. Puddlepaw, you are to stay with Creekstone _at all times_."

Puddlepaw nodded quickly, moving over to stand beside Creekstone. "Smokestripe and I will search the left half of the gorge while you two take the right," Ravenstar instructed.

Creekstone dipped his head to his leader. Puddlepaw copied the deputy before following him into the gorge. The drizzle was more of a mist or fog now. Puddlepaw almost wished it was still raining. The mist was thick, making it hard for the gray she-cat to see very far ahead of her.

"Should we call out or something?" Puddlepaw asked Creekstone.

"It couldn't hurt," the tom shrugged.

"Ok," the apprentice nodded. "Hello?" She asked into the mist around her and her companion.

The deputy copied her, padding gradually along the end of the river. The two soon reached the end of the trail of water. Puddlepaw was searching the walls of rocks around her. "I think…" she murmured.

"What?" Creekstone asked the apprentice, turning to look at her.

Puddlepaw pointed with her tail at a pile of rocks. "I think I see a cat," she told him. Underneath a couple rocks there was a tiny ball of dark brown fur. She couldn't tell if she was seeing things or if there was a cat below the rocks. It was entirely possible that a cat had simply had some fur snagged off while escaping the gorge.

Creekstone looked where Puddlepaw indicated. "Hello?" He asked.

"Uh…" Puddlepaw began.

"Yes?"

"If that is a cat…I doubt it's alive," she told him quietly.

The tom nodded solemnly, understanding Puddlepaw. He headed nimbly towards the pile of rocks and the clump of brown fur. Puddlepaw decided to stay where she was, afraid of seeing a dead cat. She watched as her Clan's deputy approached. He examined the clump, sniffing it and tugging slightly. The clump moved a little as he pulled. He gently extracted a cat from underneath the rocks. It was most definitely dead.

Puddlepaw gasped softly, tears filling her eyes. She recognized the dead cat as Cedarpaw. She ran over to the two cats. "How'd you get him out?" She sniffled to Creekstone. "But he couldn't before?"

"When cats die…when the blood stops flowing, the body shrinks slightly. The rain also slicked his fur, making him slippery," Creekstone meowed tenderly.

She nodded shakily. "What are we going to do with the body?"

"We'll leave it here for now," Creekstone decided. "We'll come back and get him on the way out."

"You mean we have to continue?"

"The entire right side," the deputy told Puddlepaw.

The two cats left the side of Cedarpaw, moving on to scour the rest of the gorge. Just as they had moved, they heard a voice. "Please don't leave me."

"Cedarpaw?" Creekstone asked.

"No."

Tawnythroat appeared from behind the rocks. Her muzzle was stained with tears, her eyes red. Her shaggy throat and chest were matted with mud and water. The shorter portion of her fur was simply dirty. The she-cat was clearly in distress. _She's Cedarpaw's mother!_ Puddlepaw remembered.

Creekstone blinked. "Tawnythroat? Is that you?"

"Yeah," the sandy-colored she-cat mewed quietly. "I-I didn't want to leave him. But I don't want to be left alone again," she sniffled.

"Come with us," Creekstone told her gently, resting his tail lightly on her shoulder. "We know where more cats are. You can go to them or search with us."

"I-I'll stay with you," Tawnythroat answered despairingly. "I-I don't want to be by myself."

Puddlepaw was shocked. Tawnythroat was such a strong cat. It was weird to see the authoritative she-cat so broken. She mimicked Creekstone's action, touching the cats shoulder with her tail.

"Let's keep going," Creekstone suggested.

The two she-cats agreed silently, following the tom as he maneuvered around the piles of rocks. Puddlepaw continued to search around, leaving the calling to the tom. She scented the air carefully, trying to locate cats that way while simultaneously focusing on not inhaling a noseful of the thickening mist.

"I'm here," a voice meowed as Creekstone called out.

Puddlepaw scented the air quickly. "Sagepatch?" She asked eagerly.

Sagepatch emerged from a shallow hole in the wall of the gorge where she had obviously been taking shelter. Her light gray fur looked black with the water that covered it. Creekstone leaped over to his mate, nuzzling her happily. "I was worried you were gone," he murmured to her.

Meanwhile, Tawnythroat was scenting the air thoughtfully. "There's someone with you."

Creekstone looked up at his mate. Sagepatch nodded. Another cat appeared from inside the gorge. She was a small, tortoiseshell cat. Her amber eyes were large, full of worry as she walked over.

"Spottedpaw!" Puddlepaw yowled, grinning at her sister. Spottedpaw matched her littermate's enthusiasm, breaking into a wide smile.

"You're ok!" Spottedpaw observed happily.

"So are you!"

Creekstone, Sagepatch, Puddlepaw, and Spottedpaw were rejoicing happily. All four of them had forgotten about Tawnythroat, who was standing by, ready to burst into tears again. Spottedpaw noticed the sadness in the air around the she-cat.

"What happened?" She whispered into Puddlepaw's ear.

"Cedarpaw died," Puddlepaw responded quietly.

Spottedpaw opened her tiny jaws a little, in shock. "That's terrible," she mewed.

"I know," Puddlepaw agreed.

Finally, Tawnythroat spoke up. "Can we move on?" She asked. Puddlepaw would have considered this rude, but she knew that the leader's mate was hurt by the family scenes unfolding before her.

Sagepatch agreed. "We should keep looking."

The five cats continued on. Puddlepaw stuck close to Spottedpaw as the mist grew even more oppressive. The she-cat could barely see a tail-length in front of her. Finally, the cats reached the end of the camp. The only reason Puddlepaw knew this was because it got slightly darker as the crew passed under the Skyrock.

"Should we keep going?" Puddlepaw asked.

Creekstone shook his head. "No. No cat would have run deeper into the gorge."

Puddlepaw acknowledged this fact with a flick of her tail. She turned around, followed by the other four. They moved a little faster going back, quite confident that they had found all who was to be found on their assigned half of the gorge. When they reached the body of Cedarpaw, Tawnythroat went up to him alone. She returned with the scruff of her son in her mouth, his body only half supported by her jaws. Creekstone quickly ducked his head under the dead apprentice's body, bringing the dark brown tom on to his shoulders. Tawnythroat held stubbornly on to her son, not allowing Creekstone to do all the work. She released his scruff, arranging herself so her son's head rested on top of her own.

They made slow progress from there. When they arrived at the site in the forest, Ravenstar and Smokestripe had already returned. Puddlepaw noticed that Meadowpaw, Darkmoon, and Aspenfrost were also with them. The apprentice spotted two more forms not far off, but she couldn't tell who they were.

It was Icedew and Weaselstep.

"Another dead cat?" Ravenstar moaned.

No one spoke. Creekstone and Tawnythroat gently deposited Cedarpaw on the ground beside Icedew and Weaselstep. Tawnythroat stayed beside her son. Sagepatch moved to lie beside Fawnstep, pressing her nose into her brother's fur as the medicine cat was doing. Darkmoon was less public about his despair for Icedew. He lay slightly away from the others as well as the body, not being able to look at the tom.

Ravenstar cleared his throat. The cats that weren't mourning turned to look at him. "We need to bury them."

This was no time to hold a vigil. The Clan was separated as it was. Keeping the bodies around wouldn't help the situation. Slowly, the cats moved away from the bodies.

"But the ground is too hard to dig this early in New Leaf," Mistpaw murmured.

"We'll bury them in the rocks," Ravenstar told them. "Creekstone, Darkmoon, and Smokestripe will help me. The rest of you will stay here."

With many tears, the families said goodbye for the last time to their siblings and children. Even Ravenstar couldn't contain his sadness as he nosed Cedarpaw. When the burial procession left with the deceased, the remaining cats were left in silence.


	6. Chapter 6

The silence was heavy. It hung around in the air that surrounded the group of cats like the thick mist that had descended on the territory. Puddlepaw pressed herself into the ground, feeling small. She felt Spottedpaw sink down beside her. Mistpaw appeared at her other side, obviously less bothered by her wound. Beetlepaw was not far off, sitting beside Sagepatch comfortingly.

Puddlepaw looked up as she heard a rustling in the forest behind her. She swiveled her head around to look, noticing most of the other cats doing the same. The apprentice decided that it was definitely more that one cat by the sounds of pawsteps muffled by the fog. With Ravenstar and Creekstone both gone, no cat wanted to speak up.

Finally, Aspenfrost broke the silence. "Who's there?" He asked the hazy forest.

"That depends, who are you?" A tom's voice growled.

Copperspots stood up quickly, recognizing the voice as her brother's. "Bristlehaze?" She asked hopefully.

A large sandy-colored tom stepped towards the group of cats. His tail and head were held high, but Puddlepaw could see a glint of fear quickly exchanged with hope in his dark blue eyes. She noted that his faint ginger stripes were barely recognized under the layer of water on his fur.

She watched as Willowmist appeared behind the tom, followed by Scorchpaw, Cloud-dew, and Jayspots. The four cats approached the others rapidly. "Is there anyone else?" Willowmist asked, wondering if maybe cats had left to go hunting.

Sagepatch nodded quietly. "Ravenstar, Creekstone, Smokestripe, and Darkmoon left to…"

"To do what?" Willowmist asked.

No one seemed to want to answer. Finally, Beetlepaw spoke up just as it seemed that the silence was going to make Puddlepaw scream. "They went to bury Icedew, Weaselstep, and Cedarpaw," the russet-colored tom explained gently.

The air was once again filled with broken sobs as the cats mourned. None of the newcomers were really closely related to the dead cats. Cloud-dew and Jayspots were niece and nephew to Weaselstep. Scorchpaw had been Cedarpaw's brother, but he wasn't going to allow himself to cry.

Beetlepaw's announcement had gotten the quiet cats going again. Puddlepaw flattened her ears, trying to block out the sounds of the wailing cats. They were in no state for Ravenstar to return. The apprentice pressed up against Spottedpaw, willing Mistpaw to lean on her. The three sisters sat there, huddled together, trying to silently comfort each other.

Ravenstar returned to the group of cats in the midst of the mourning. No one even looked up as the leader arrived, followed by the three cats he had taken out with him. Thus, no one noticed that the four cats were followed by Thymepaw, Thornstrike, Creampaw, Smudgenose, and Gingerflight.

"Is that everyone?" Ravenstar asked.

Everyone turned to look at the large black tom. A few cats noticed the newcomers while the rest were too blinded by their tears to notice anyone but that cat that had called for their attention. However, no one answered the leader's question. Some cats simply stared at Ravenstar blankly, acting like they didn't understand what he was saying. A pawful of others were staring off into the distance with bleary eyes. Hardly anyone gave their undivided attention to Ravenstar. The black cat let out a sigh.

"Is everyone here?" He repeated.

When no one answered for a second time, Ravenclaw let out a loud yowl. His loud call brought all cats out of their minds and into the world around them. The group focused quickly on the cat before them. A few confused murmurs rippled through the Clan as Ravenstar looked his Clan over.

"Are any cats missing?" The leader of SkyClan questioned.

He gave the cats a moment to observe the cats around them. No one seemed to find anyone missing. Puddlepaw searched for her own family. Seeing Spottedpaw, Mistpaw, Beetlepaw, Sagepatch, and Creekstone, she was content. Just to make sure they hadn't snuck off, Puddlepaw quickly lifted her head to see Lionkit and Spiderkit before returning her gaze to Ravenstar.

The leader didn't seem to have any further plans. With every cat waiting for him to speak, Ravenstar seemed awkward, flashing his eyes around. Finally, a cat broke the silence.

"What are we going to do?"

It was the question that no one wanted to hear. It was the question that no one had an answer to. It was the question that everyone feared. It was the question that had been on the mind of every cat during this entire ordeal. It was the question that would determine the outcome of every life in that clearing.

A couple of cats had suggestions, but no one was brave enough to voice them. The Clan sat in silence. Some cats were searching wildly for a solution while others sat quietly, the only thought on their mind was how long they were going to live for.

"We could go back to being kittypets, loners, and rogues," someone mewed, defeated.

"No," Ravenstar meowed firmly, eyes burning into the pelt of the cat who had spoken. Puddlepaw followed his gaze to see Cloud-dew. The long-furred she-cat was trembling, looking especially small. Her usually sparkling blue eyes were dull with the cruel reality of the situation. Her white fur was spattered with mud, making the she-cat appear disheveled.

"No," the leader repeated. "We worked so hard for everything that we have become. And it wasn't just us. It was Leafstar. It was Echosong. It was Sharpclaw. It was all our ancestors. It was everyone who died defending us. It was everyone who died and was welcomed by our nearly forgotten ancestors.

SkyClan finally became _SkyClan_. We are who we're intended to be. This," the tom meowed, gesturing to the gathering of cats. "Is who we are. We were never meant to be kittypets, rouges, or loners for our whole life. It was always written in our destinies that we were to join SkyClan.

We _are_ SkyClan. Without us, the Clan is simply another forgotten memory. We were driven off from the forest and forgotten. We couldn't simply let our legacy be gone forever. We _must_ stick together."

As Ravenstar finished, every cat was nodding. It was obvious that no one was ready to give up the cats that had become their family. Even Cloud-dew was showing her approval for her leader's words, clearly knowing that her idea had been a bad one.

Puddlepaw was lost in her thoughts. For her, most of what Ravenstar had said was just a story to her. She hadn't been a part of the forming of the Clan. She was barely even a part of the Clan now, being just six moons. She had never met Firestar or Sandstorm.

Firestar and Sandstorm.

The forest.

**A.N. Short chapter, I know. **

**I hate doing this but...-pokes traffic report- I know you're out there. Could someone review? Maybe? If you've got some free time? I...yeah.**

**~Whisper~**


	7. Chapter 7

"The forest!" Puddlepaw yowled.

The gray she-cat forced herself to hold her head high as curious stares focused on her fur. She kept her own eyes glued to the pelt of Ravenstar, waiting for him to acknowledge her. She steadily held the gaze of the leader as he turned to look at her. Puddlepaw searched his eyes, but she found no display of emotion that she could recognize.

"What about it?" Ravenstar asked, and edge of a growl lurking in his voice. The tom was clearly still disturbed by Cloud-dew's suggestion and the scene he had caused.

"_That's_ where we can go," Puddlepaw explained. "The forest where the other for Clans live! The forest where Firestar and Sandstorm came from and returned to. We must go there!"

"We cannot."

Puddlepaw stopped her raving, looking in shock at Ravenstar. Did he just deny her idea? But she was so sure of it! They had to go to the forest. It was the only place where they could live. They could have a home there, and SkyClan could survive. Why would Ravenstar not want this?

"Why not?" Puddlepaw asked, appalled.

"SkyClan was banished from the forest you speak of. Our ancestors were driven out, and StarClan didn't raise a paw against the other four Clans. No Clan wanted us there. SkyClan have been the outcasts, and we cannot go back there. The cats of the Clans did not want us then, and they _will not want us now_," Ravenstar meowed coldly.

"But-" Puddlepaw began.

"No buts," the leader growled. "We are not going back to the forest."

The gray apprentice, who had gotten to her paws in her excitement, sat down, defeated. She swung her head around to see how the other cats had reacted. Most were staring at Puddlepaw, looking slightly disappointed. However, there were quiet a few that had their gaze fixed on Ravenstar, mouths open in disbelief. One of the latter cats was Creekstone.

Puddlepaw was filled with hope for a moment. Creekstone disagreed with Ravenstar. He was deputy. He has power. He could convince Ravenstar that she was right! Puddlepaw watched her father, desire dancing in her eyes. She waited for Creekstone to say something. She wanted her father to at least look at her and see that she was supporting him. But he stayed silent.

She leaned into Spottedpaw, ready to cry. No cat would be able to convince Ravenstar if Creekstone did nothing. He was the only hope of SkyClan surviving. Where else could they go?

"Where else can we go?"

Puddlepaw looked up, shocked. She saw that Creekstone was still sitting, dumbfounded, in silence. She searched around for the cat who had spoken. Finally, she rested her gaze on Fawnstep. The gentle she-cat could easily have been ignored if it wasn't for the fact that she was medicine cat. Ravenstar had always had a respect for the fleck she-cat due to her connection with StarClan.

Ravenstar raised his eyes to look at the sky. The mist was beginning to clear, and the black tom could easily see through the leaves overhead to the gray-blue expanse above. Puddlepaw observed the tom as he simply fixed his eyes on the sky. He followed a couple birds with his eyes as they soared through the clearing air. Eventually, he lowered his head, focusing on Fawnstep.

"We don't have to go anywhere. We can stay in the forest. _This_ forest."

"What?" Creekstone questioned.

Puddlepaw swiveled her head around to see her father. The tom seemed to have regained

control of both his body and mind. He had gotten to his paws, apparently ready to take a

stand against the large black tom he usually obeyed unconditionally.

"Do you have a problem with that, Creekstone?" Ravenstar asked simply.

"Yes," the dark golden tom responded coolly, icy blue eyes smoldering.

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"This forest holds to much sorrow. Every day each cat would be forced to look upon the gorge where we used to belong. Each cat would have to re-live the horror that has taken place today, and many warriors would be too broken to carry out their duties. Besides, we do much of our hunting here. Living in the forest will scare the prey farther away, making it harder to hunt," Creekstone enlightened.

Ravenstar didn't look like he was paying attention. He appeared to Puddlepaw as if he had chosen his words already and was going to say them regardless of what his deputy said. As Creekstone finished, Ravenstar cleared his throat.

"We are staying."

Creekstone looked ready to tear the tom apart. His eyes were burning with rage and sorrow, his claws digging in to the leaves beneath him. "We are not."

The Clan watched silently. Puddlepaw was hoping that someone would speak up. That someone would be brave up to show their support to one side or another, causing the Clan to divide. She was positive that no one would side with Ravenstar, who was proposing that SkyClan must remain in this devastated territory forever. As the moments passed slowly, Puddlepaw realized that if anyone was going to take a stand, it was going to have to be her. Hesitantly, the she-cat stood up, moving to stand by Creekstone. She didn't feel the need to voice her actions. She simply stood beside her father, hoping the other cats would catch on.

They did. Puddlepaw watched as Spottedpaw and Mistpaw copied her actions, flanking their two family members. The cats who had been situated by Ravenstar by chance sidled away, heading towards Creekstone. Soon the entire Clan stood on one side of the clearing, facing Ravenstar with glints of defiance shining in their eyes.

"So it is decided," Creekstone declared. He rested his shoulder lightly on Puddlepaw's shoulder, smiling gratefully at his daughter before turning back to face his leader. "We're going to the forest.

SkyClan's leader knew better than to argue any longer. He had come to the conclusion that his Clan was not willing to follow him if he forced them to remain near the gorge, and he slowly dipped his head to Creekstone.

"Very well. SkyClan will return to the forest to live with the other four Clans who drove us out so long ago."

Puddlepaw couldn't help a tiny _mrrow_ of delight. "When will we head out?"

"Immediately," Creekstone meowed.

"Not quite," Ravenstar contradicted.

Creekstone cast a quizzical look at his leader. The black tom simply turned, heading towards the gorge, where the sunshine was warming the fallen rocks. Puddlepaw shrugged, beginning to follow him. She looked back for a moment, seeing that a couple other cats were doing the same. The remaining members of SkyClan followed suit, gathering before their leader. Ravenstar was standing on top of a pile of rocks, his sleek black fur shining in the weak light.

"We are gathered here in the gorge for the last time to give two Clan kits their apprentice names," Ravenstar meowed.

"Lionkit, Spiderkit, step forward."

Puddlepaw felt a smile play across her face as the two excited toms distanced themselves from the crowd of cats and faced Ravenstar, each one trembling slightly.

"Smokestripe, your apprentice joined StarClan recently. You are deserving of another apprentice. You will be mentor to Lionpaw. Smokestripe, you have shown yourself to be very strong and intelligent. Do all that you can to pass on all you know to Lionpaw."

Lionpaw touched noses quickly with his new mentor before turning to watch his brother become an apprentice himself.

"I will be mentor to Spiderpaw."

Puddlepaw yowled loudly for the tow new apprentice. "Lionpaw! Spiderpaw!" She crowed happily.


	8. Chapter 8

As the cries for the new apprentices died down, Ravenstar cleared his throat. "The story that has been passed down the generations depicts that the two ginger cats that reformed SkyClan came by way of following the river to its end. We will essentially do the same, except that we shall follow the river to its source, instead."

Puddlepaw yowled in approval along with the rest of the Clan. Ravenstar leapt gallantly off the pile of slowly drying red-brown rocks. The leader led the way to SkyClan's new destiny, using his powerful haunches to propel himself in a magnificent leap over the fallen tree at the edge of the gorge. Puddlepaw followed suit. She barely cleared the tree with her small hind legs, but she didn't care. She smiled as Spottedpaw and Mistpaw landed on either side of her. Beetlepaw was chatting with Spiderpaw and Lionpaw ahead, having already crossed the tree. The gray apprentice flicked her ear at her sisters as if to say, "Follow if you wish," before bounding up to the two new apprentices.

"Congratulations, guys!" Puddlepaw smiled. "Are you two even six moons?"

"I don't know," Lionpaw laughed. "I guess Ravenstar just wanted us out of the way for the journey."

The fluffy gray she-cat chortled happily, breaking into a grin as Mistpaw and Spottedpaw joined the group of four apprentices. "Congrats," the two mewed to their younger denmates. Spiderpaw nodded to the two, while Lionpaw smiled like a mousebrain at Mistpaw. If he had a secret crush on her, he obviously wasn't doing a very good job of hiding it.

Not that Puddlepaw could complain. She had a small crush on Spiderpaw herself. She had always favored him in the nursery, but for some reason the feeling felt dominant today. As Spiderpaw chatted with Beetlepaw, Puddlepaw took the opportunity to stare at him.

He had glossy black fur. The sunshine that shone through the dripping leaves overhead reflected off of his pelt, causing the tips of the hairs to seem like they were sparkling. His head was turned away from her, but Puddlepaw could easily remember his eyes. She was always fascinated by them. One was green while the other was blue. Both were large and round, always carrying an air of seriousness that was easily ignorable by the glints of happiness and amusement in them.

Overall, the tom was small and adorable to Puddlepaw. He was a tad larger than herself, which made her feel extremely tiny, considering that he was a moon younger. As Spiderpaw turned to say something to Lionpaw, he caught her eye. Puddlepaw felt her fur grow hot and she looked away quickly, realizing that he obviously didn't have a liking for her like she did for him. Otherwise his eyes would have been soft and sweet and happy instead of confused.

In quickly looking away, Puddlepaw spotted Mistpaw chatting with Lionpaw. The dark golden tom had barely acknowledged his brother. His bright green eyes were fixed on Mistpaw. And Puddlepaw could tell that her sister was completely aware of the attention she was getting. She didn't only seem to be enjoying it, but she was returning it. The skinny black she-cat had her big blue eyes locked on Lionpaw's, and the two were chatting animatedly as if there was no one else around them.

Puddlepaw couldn't help the pang of jealously that resounded in her chest. She suddenly felt empty, watching her sister hit it off with the golden tom. It just wasn't _fair_. How come Mistpaw had a tom she liked going crazy for her while all Puddlepaw got was an awkward eye-contact and some stolen moments of staring?

Spottedpaw heard her sister let out a small sigh and was instantly at the side of the fluffy gray cat. "What's up?" She mewed gently, resting her tortoiseshell tail on the shoulder of her sister.

"Nothing," Puddlepaw mumbled. She didn't want to talk about her stupid crush on Spiderpaw.

Because that was obviously all it was. _Just a stupid crush_, Puddlepaw assured herself silently. Since when did she like Spiderpaw, anyway? Yeah, she had liked to hang out with and talk to him in the nursery, but she was friends with all the kits. There was nothing different now that they were all apprentices except for the fact that their names ended with –paw. Right? That had to be it. This was all just some stupid drama Puddlepaw had conjured in her head out of boredom.

To distract herself, Puddlepaw observed the scenery around her. They were traveling alongside the river through some mildly dense forest. They followed the twists and turns of the river without question, confident that they would be led to the forest if they did so. Occasionally the river made a sharp turn and led the cats to the edge of the forest, but it always wound its way back into the cover of the trees.

The she-cat looked ahead and noticed that the forest appeared to be thinning. The cats hadn't been walking for very long, but it was apparent that no cat from SkyClan had ever gone this far before. Maybe they had gone much farther than Puddlepaw had thought. She _had_ been distracted…

At any rate, the trees were thinning. Puddlepaw craned her neck to see what lay beyond the forest. She had never really thought about it in the nursery. She hadn't seen much of the forest while she was a kit. These past couple of days as an apprentice were the only time she was really aware of the expanse of trees that had flanked the gorge for as long as anyone could remember.

Puddlepaw stumbled awkwardly into Spiderpaw, who she hadn't realized she had been walking behind, as he stopped. She mumbled an apology without making eye contact, busying herself with fixing her disheveled fur. When she was sure the black tom was no longer looking at her, Puddlepaw raised her head.

She saw that Ravenstar had come to a halt and what was almost the tree line. He had turned to face the cats that had been plodding on behind him. The leader waited for the Clan to quiet down before opening his mouth to speak.

"We are about to enter a twolegplace," the tom announced. "While it appears that we will be in a gorge that the river flows through, it is likely that we will have to cross a thunderpath, and it is unquestionable that we will run into twolegs.

A big group of cats like us will attract attention. We're going to break off into two—one led by me and another by Creekstone. However, we will still be quiet noticeable. I'm asking each cat to find one or two cats that they will make sure to stick with at all times."

The Clan bobbed their heads, acknowledging their leader. With that, the group of cats split in two. Puddlepaw saw that both Spiderpaw and Spottedpaw were in her group. She would keep an eye on those two.

With that, the two groups headed out of the forest and into the second leg of their journey.


	9. Chapter 9

Puddlepaw bounded after Creekstone as he led their group along the river. She noted that Ravenstar bounded up the side of the ditch, taking that half of the Clan into the twolegplace. Puddlepaw was a little worried for Mistpaw and Beetlepaw, but she let those worries fall away as she surveyed the area in wonder.

The river rushed through the little gorge, surrounded by rushes and reeds. The grass on either side was thick and green. Puddlepaw sniffed the air, expecting the fresh scents of the river. Instead, she got a noseful of something that smelled yucky.

"What's that?" She asked Spottedpaw, referring to the disgusting smell.

Spottedpaw shrugged. "Maybe the twoleg waste over there," she guessed, pointing with her tail at the lumps of washed-up twoleg items that littered the river banks. Puddlepaw headed towards one, curious despite the smell. Before she could get too close, Sagepatch stepped in front of her.

"Don't go near that," she warned harshly. "You never know what could happen…"

Puddlepaw got that her mother was referring to Echosong. The gray apprentice headed obediently away from the garbage, rejoining Spottedpaw in the group of cats. Puddlepaw looked to the top of the short ridge, wondering what lay beyond. She saw a good number of twoleg dens spaced evenly a few fox-lengths from the edge of the drop. The only reason she could see them at all was because they were so _tall_. She felt so small next to the towering dens. She instantly was worried for her siblings that traveled up there.

_They're with Ravenstar, they'll be fine_, she told herself, trying to shake the bad thoughts from her mind.

She was distracted from her own thoughts by a deafening roar that faded away almost as soon as it had appeared. She noticed that most of the warriors were not bothered by this at all. Spottedpaw and Spiderpaw both had their fur fluffed up in shock like she did.

"What was that?"

This time, Spottedpaw was asking the question. Puddlepaw was less helpful than her sister had been with her question. "I have no clue," the fluffy gray she-cat meowed, looking around in shock.

"It was a monster," Spiderpaw decided.

Puddlepaw turned to give a quizzical look at the black tom. She thought he might be joking, but his blue and green eyes were both laced with seriousness. "Um…" Puddlepaw trailed off, confused.

"You don't remember the stories?" Spiderpaw asked. "Twolegs ride around in loud, smelly monsters on their hard gray thunderpaths," the tom explained.

"I...oh, right," Puddlepaw meowed sheepishly. She had heard tales of them from the cats who had traveled to the twolegplace nearer to their old camp to get herbs with Fawnstep and Thymepaw. "Y-you don't think one could get down here, do you?" Puddlepaw inquired, a slight tremble in her voice. All of a sudden, she wasn't so fond of the little river valley. She would like to be able to see what was making all the noise. She might be less afraid of it then.

The group padded on for a little in silence. Every now and then, Creekstone would send up a cat to check on Ravenstar's group. It was evident they were traveling far from the river, judging by how long the runners took to get back. As they continued on, the river became more and more dirty, and more and more twoleg trash appeared. The hills on both sides steepened slightly, and the twoleg nests became less frequent. Eventually, the cats came to what looked to Puddlepaw like a giant slab of a twoleg substance.

"It's a bridge," Sagepatch murmured to her daughter. "The monsters cross the gorge with it."

"And we have to go under it?" Puddlepaw squeaked. What if it collapsed on them?

"Nothing's going to hurt you," the mother assured. But before anyone could cross beneath the bridge, a bloodcurdling shriek sounded from somewhere in the twolegplace. It had to have come from Ravenstar's group.

"Follow me!" Creekstone commanded, racing up the side of the ditch. Puddlepaw streaked after him, followed by the rest of the SkyClan cats in their group. Her father led them quickly towards were the scream had sounded from, not unsure of where he was going whatsoever.

When they reached the other half of SkyClan, the first thing Puddlepaw was that half the Clan was on one side of the thunderpath, while the rest were still waiting to cross. The second thing she saw was that many of the cats were wailing, especially Smudgenose and Gingerflight. The third thing she saw was a bloody lump of russet-colored fur lying on the thunderpath.

Beetlepaw.

Puddlepaw joined in the wailing instantly, running towards her dead brother. She didn't bother to look for oncoming monsters. She just ran out on to the path. She heard a loud roar coming towards her, and she found herself frozen to the spot. She felt a pair of powerful jaws fasten on her scruff, whisking her out of the path of the rumbling monster. She was tossed on to the grass beside the grief-ridden elders. She looked up into the dark blue eyes of Ravenstar.

"T-thanks," she stuttered.

"_Never_ do that again," the tom growled. He felt bad for the sibling of the dead tom, but she had to know that what she did was _wrong_. She could have been killed herself.

The she-cat nodded weakly, salty tears flowing from her large blue eyes. She felt a tail wrap around her, pulling her towards another cat. She looked up to see Smudgenose and Gingerflight, both sniffling.

"Why are you so sad?" She asked quietly. Sure, they were her and her sibling's grandparents, but the two elders were letting out loud wails.

"SkyClan looses too many kits…" Smudgenose mewed, shaking his head in time with his trembling shoulders.

"I-I don't understand," Puddlepaw said.

"When I was a kit, there were six other kits. Besides Gingerflight, there were also Tinykit, Rock-kit, Bouncekit, Mintkit, and Thymekit."

The white tom paused to draw in a shaky breath. Puddlepaw wanted to know what happened to the kits. "What happened?" she prompted gently.

"They were all killed."

"H-how?"

"Two were taken off by a fox. That was Tinykit and Bouncekit. Rock-kit was simply killed by the animal, left to die in the camp. Thymekit fell off the side of the gorge as an apprentice. He broke his neck in the fall, and was killed instantly.

The last one, Mintkit, didn't want to be a Clan kit. She wanted to live like the ancestors who had brought her to SkyClan. She left to become a kittypet when she became an apprentice. No one's heard from her since…"

As the elder finished the recollection, Gingerflight broke into louder sobs. The usually strict elder was completely broken. Puddlepaw sniffled, trying not to let her eyes wander to the body of her brother. During the elder's tale, the rest of the cats had come over. Creekstone had carried Beetlepaw off the thunderpath, laying his son down on the soft grass beside the place where he had been killed.

Puddlepaw couldn't bear it anymore. She padded over to her brother, pushing her nose into his cooling fur. The familiar scent of the tom was masked by blood, and it only made Puddlepaw want to cry harder. She felt another cat press up against her, and she figured it was either Mistpaw or Spottedpaw. It wasn't.

Spiderpaw lay beside her, resting a tail on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he comforted quietly.

In shock, Puddlepaw could do nothing but nod a silent thanks. She leaned a little into the tom, letting the tears keep rolling. She could barely be happy about the contact with Spiderpaw as she thought of her brother.

Her mourning was interrupted by an announcement by Ravenstar.

"Tonight, we will sleep here," the tom decided, gesturing to the grassy field dotted with bushes that fell after the thunderpath. "Those who wish to sit vigil for Beetlepaw may, keeping in mind that they will have a long journey ahead of them tomorrow.

"Smokestripe, Willowmist, Creampaw, Meadowpaw, and Tawnythroat will go hunting," Ravenstar meowed, singling out cats that were likely to not be as affected by the death of the apprentice.

As the five cats departed, Puddlepaw turned back to her brother. She wasn't ready to leave his side, and she would sleep here tonight. Spiderpaw didn't seem to be leaving, either. As Puddlepaw closed her eyes, she felt Spiderpaw gently grooming her fur. She managed a small purr through her sadness before drifting off to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning Puddlepaw woke up stiff and miserable. She stretched half-heartedly, opening her tiny jaws into a yawn. She noted that Spiderpaw was still beside her, and she couldn't help but give a small smile. The happy feeling only lasted a moment as the pile of russet fur before her came into view. She knew that this was the last time she would ever see her brother, and she wanted to cry. But the tears didn't want to come. The she-cat figured she'd cried herself dry last night. Now wasn't a good time to cry, anyway. She had a journey to take part in.

She stood up, arching her back in a prolonged stretch, pausing a moment to watch the sun rising over the twoleg nests. Without the trees, the sunrise just wasn't as pretty as Puddlepaw was used to. She wondered briefly what the sun looked like I the forest. She knew she would miss the red rocks bathed in dusky light. She didn't suspect there would be anything like their old camp in the forest.

Puddlepaw's spirits lifted slightly as she saw some prey leftover from last night. She wasn't exactly in the mood to go for a hunt. She picked up a dew-soaked mouse and shook it out a little, watching the small droplets sail through the air in shining arcs. She lay down right there, not having the energy to go back to her brother and to Spiderpaw. Taking a bite, Puddlepaw sighed as she chewed mechanically, her mind wandering.

Everything was going to be different now, wasn't it? Up until now Puddlepaw just expected that life in the forest would be just like life in the gorge. It was just catching up to her that that was so far from the truth. It took Beetlepaw dying for her to see that. Nothing was going to be the same in the forest. They'd been neighbors with other cats, they would have to stay in a confined territory, and so many cats would be missing. The thought was terrifying to Puddlepaw.

It was then that Puddlepaw noticed other cats getting up around her. She gulped down the last few bits of her mouse, standing up. She saw Ravenstar shaking out his pelt from the morning dew. She knew that with the SkyClan leader up, they'd be leaving soon. She wasn't deceived there. Ravenstar cleared his throat loudly.

"We'll all be going back to the river to travel the remainder of the way to the forest. It'll be safer that way," the large black tom announced.

The gray apprentice nodded as if the leader needed her consent for the idea. Ravenstar didn't even look at her, which didn't surprise Puddlepaw in the least. The tom simply headed towards the river along the thunderpath. At least they would have to go under the eerie bridge now.

Puddlepaw followed as Ravenstar led them onward. She noticed Smokestripe and Copperspots staying behind. She followed their gaze to Smudgenose and Gingerflight, who were carrying off Beetlepaw. The burial ceremony. The warriors must have been ordered to see the elders back to the rest of the camp once the apprentice was safe with StarClan.

Fighting the urge to ask to stay behind with the other four cats, Puddlepaw padded after the departing group of cats. She spotted Spiderpaw in the back of the group. He wasn't talking to anyone, so the fluffy gray she-cat decided to walk with him.

"Hey," she mewed quietly. She wanted to look at him, but the nervousness mixed with her unhappiness kept her eyes fixed on her paws.

She was hurt when Spiderpaw didn't utter a sound. She was mortified of looking up at him, but she knew she had to. As she did, she didn't even know why she was so scared. Not only was the black tom not even looking at her, but he was trotting faster to get away from her.

Puddlepaw sped up to be beside him again. "Hi," she said, repeating the greeting. This time she let her eyes fix themselves on to his pelt. She tried to force him to look at her with her mind. _Look at me. Look. At. Me. StarClan, just _look at me! _Please…_ The pleas weren't working in the least. If anything, they were egging the tom on to keep going. Puddlepaw let him get ahead. Or rather, she herself fell behind.

What happened to the Spiderpaw from last night? Why was he so suddenly ignoring her? At least before he had been talking to her—treating her like a friend. Now he acted like the two didn't even know each other. Puddlepaw felt a jolt of hurt in her stomach, causing her to stagger.

By then, the group had made it back to the river ditch. Puddlepaw half-skidded down the slick grass, not having the drive to hold on to the ground with her claws. She nearly tumbled into the rushing river, glad that she hadn't. She didn't know how to swim, and falling into the river would not exactly be a capital way to start off the day of journeying.

Spottedpaw noticed something was up with her sister as the gray she-cat nearly somersaulted into the water. She padded over to Puddlepaw, concerned. "What's wrong?" She asked gently.

"Nothing," Puddlepaw muttered, shaking her fur as she stood up from her stumble. She started to walk as Spottedpaw pulled her back with her tail.

"I know something is bothering you," Spottedpaw told her. "I was your little fall there. The Puddlepaw _I_ know would have never slid down something. She's always aware of what's going on, but you've got your head in the clouds or something."

Puddlepaw should have known better than to try and lie to her sister. But she still didn't want to give away her feelings. "It's nothing, seriously," Puddlepaw mewed, attempting to move on again.

"No, it's not," Spottedpaw persisted. "What is wrong with you?"

Sighing, Puddlepaw stopped struggling to keep walking. Turning to face her sister, she wiped the smile she had plastered on her face for the other cats off. "Spiderpaw, happy?" She meowed irritably.

"S-Spiderpaw?" Spottedpaw asked incredulously. "What about him?"

"I like him, ok?" Puddlepaw told her. "_Please_ stop asking questions."

"And?"

So much for no questions. "And obviously he doesn't like me back," Puddlepaw retorted. "Now _leave me alone_."

Puddlepaw turned on her heel. The rest of SkyClan was barely in sight. She was about to break into a run when Spottedpaw opened her mouth again.

"B-but I saw you last night. You were purring and he was licking your fur, and—"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Puddlepaw shouted, not wanting to be reminded of the moments from last night. She was facing Spottedpaw again, her fur bristling. Her claws were fighting to unsheathe themselves, but Puddlepaw kept them in her paws. "I _don't want to talk about it_."

This time Puddlepaw broke off running. She could barely make out the group of cats far ahead of her. She raced alongside the river, listening to the rhythmic drumming of her paws as they struck the grassy bank. She tried not to hear anything else, but she could tell that Spottedpaw was pelting after her, her delicate paws landing lightly on the grass behind Puddlepaw.

She stopped suddenly as they neared the group. Spottedpaw skidded to a halt in front of her, barely managing to not crash headlong into her sister. Puddlepaw knew that Spottedpaw had something else to say, but the tortoiseshell she-cat was silent.

"Spit it out," Puddlepaw growled.

"Fine. Why does it bother you so much?"

Why did it bother her so much? What was the big problem? Puddlepaw didn't have to think long about that one. It was obviously Mistpaw and Lionpaw that were making her bitter. The two were perfect for each other. Puddlepaw could see them flirting at the back of the group, both head-over-heels for the other,

"Mistpaw and Lionpaw," she meowed sourly. "The two just hit it off. They can't see anyone but the other, and they just flirt _all the time_. And what do I get? A few pathetic moments while crying over our _dead brother_ and then immediate rejection. Isn't my life _just peachy?_"

Spottedpaw let her mouth hang open, taken aback. "I-I didn't realize. I-I'm worry I hurt your feelings. I-I hope it gets better."

Puddlepaw softened a little, feeling a tad better after ranting. "Thanks," she said graciously. "I-it means a lot that you care, you know."

The tortoiseshell she-cat nodded. "We should get back to the others," she decided, nodding towards the moving mass of cats that were slowly leaving the two behind.

"Yeah," Puddlepaw agreed. The two sisters paced themselves to run alongside each other, their paws hitting the ground at the same time as they returned to their Clan.


	11. Chapter 11

Apparently, they had returned at a bad time.

The two apprentices nearly crashed into their Clanmates, who had been moving more slowly. "What do you think is going on?" Puddlepaw asked Spottedpaw, surveying the group.

Puddlepaw noticed a few cats looking depressed or desperate. The she-cat was instantly worried that another death had occurred. She swung her head around nervously, wondering if anyone was missing. She didn't see anyone missing, which only made her stomach churn harder. What was going on?

"Ravenstar, how much longer 'till we reach the forest?"

"How long are we going to have to travel for, Ravenstar?"

"What if the forest doesn't exist?"

"What are we going to do?"

She listened to the cries of her Clanmates as the interrogated the large black tom at the head of the group. She watched as Ravenstar whirled around, looking over them all. "I don't _know!_" He meowed honestly. "I don't know where the forest is. I don't know how much longer this is going to keep up, and I don't know if the forest is real or not. What I do know is we are going to keep following the river until we get somewhere!"

SkyClan shrank back from him as one, neck fur bristling slightly. The leader was clearly just as apprehensive as they were. He was leading his Clan on the basis of a story. What if Firestar and Sandstorm had been lying about where they came from?

That couldn't be it, though. How could two cats make all that up by themselves? How could they simply invent the other four Clans as a story to make us form SkyClan? Why would they teach us all this stuff as a joke? And if they had just wanted a Clan to join, why would they have left again?

None of this was certain, of course, but one thing kept Puddlepaw firm in her belief that the forest existed. How could the two ginger cats have made up StarClan, with whom Fawnstep and Thymepaw have spoken to? SkyClan have talked with their ancestors, making them just as real as the cats around Puddlepaw. The forest _had_ to exist.

She noticed that Ravenstar had kept walking. A few cats continued on after him, but the majority just sat their wailing. Puddlepaw wasn't going to sit around like the others. She bounded after her leader, followed by Spottedpaw. The two she-cats simply wanted a new home.

As Ravenstar realized that most of his cats weren't following him, he looked up at the sky. Puddlepaw wondered if he was looking to StarClan, but he lowered his head too quickly to have done so. When he began speaking, the gray cat realized he'd been looking for the time.

Returning to the rest of the Clan, Ravenstar yowled for their attention. "We will stay here tonight" he announced, gesturing to the straggly bushes dotting the riverbanks, wreathed with reeds and rushes. "Tomorrow we will resume the journey, and you best be ready."

With that, the tom headed to the riverside, hoping to catch a fish. Puddlepaw didn't find herself very hungry, and she made her way over to a soft-looking clump of reeds. She fashioned herself a nest and lay down with a sigh. She closed her eyes and felt like she was about to drift off to sleep when she heard shouting.

"You took my fish!" The first cat accused.

"We're _sharing_, aren't we?" The second voice retorted.

"That doesn't mean you don't have to do any work!"

Puddlepaw was hardly tired anymore as she recognized the voices that were no doubt disturbing all of the Clan. It was Lionpaw and Mistpaw.

"I just haven't caught anything yet!" Lionpaw cried.

"You aren't trying!" Mistpaw yelled. "You're just sitting eating _my_ catch."

"That's not true!"

"Yes. It. Is," Mistpaw hissed through clenched teeth.

"No, it's not! I think _I _know what I'm doing better than you!" Lionpaw retaliated.

"Oh really?" Mistpaw asked sarcastically. "I'm sure you know exactly what you're doing. You have _bees for brains!_"

"At least I'm not a control freak!"

"Control freak?" Mistpaw gasped. "We agreed to share hunting duties and you _did nothing_!"

"I was getting to that," Lionpaw meowed indignantly.

"Oh? So eating my catch and beginning to groom your fur is what? Your pre-hunting ritual? Not likely," Mistpaw scoffed.

Puddlepaw heard Lionpaw getting up and kicking something. Not hearing Mistpaw cry out in pain, she figured it was the fish. She was right.

"What was that for? You just wasted prey!" Mistpaw shouted.

"You didn't want me to eat it!"

"Yes, but _I wanted to_! Mousebrain!"

Puddlepaw was ready to scream herself. She left her nest, heading towards the voices. She reached them quickly—they hadn't been far away. The two didn't notice her enter the scene. They were too busy glaring at each other and no doubt thinking up for insults. Just as Lionpaw opened his mouth, Puddlepaw cut him off.

"Stop it!" She shrieked. "Stop it, stop it, _stop it_!"

Both cats turned to look at her like she was crazy. "What's your problem?" Lionpaw questioned.

"What's my problem? You two are _perfect_ for each other and you're about to kill each other over a _fish_, that's my problem!" Puddlepaw ranted.

Mistpaw looked about ready to cry. "You think w-we're p-perfect for each other?"

"_Yes_. So just make up already so we can all get on with our lives!"

But Lionpaw wasn't having it. The dark golden tom sent an evil glare to both sisters before stalking away to find a nest. The sound of Mistpaw's broken sobs tore Puddlepaw to pieces. She padded over to her sister, resting her fluffy gray tail on the small black shoulder of her sibling.

"I'm sure it will work out," Puddlepaw promised her. She didn't feel like it was a lie. She just knew it all had to turn out ok.

"No it won't," Mistpaw cried, dejected.

"Yes, it will," Puddlepaw persisted. "Like I said, you two are perfect for each other. If you don't end up together, my chances with Spiderpaw are less than none.

_Did I just let that slip?_

"Y-you like Spiderpaw?" The black cat asked.

"Yeah," she admitted. "And we're nowhere near as good for each other as you and Lionpaw. I'm going to be seriously disappointed in both of you if you don't work this out."

Mistpaw managed a weak smile and a twisted giggle. "I hope you guys work out, too," she mewed earnestly.

"Thanks," Puddlepaw smiled. Sensing an awkward silence coming on, she changed the subject. "I found a soft patch of reeds. Want to come?"

"Y-yeah," Mistpaw whispered.


	12. Chapter 12

"Just talk to him!"

"_No."_

The two sisters had been at this since the break of dawn. Puddlepaw was firm in her belief that Lionpaw and Mistpaw were meant to be, but Mistpaw wasn't having it. She was clearly still angry with the dark golden tom from their argument the night before. Puddlepaw was relentless in her pleading for the two to sort it all out, but Mistpaw was hardly even listening anymore. The sun was almost completely over the tops of the twoleg nests by now, and Puddlepaw had wanted to sort it out before the journey resumed.

"Please?" The gray she-cat mewed, batting her eyes.

"I told you, I'm not talking to him," Mistpaw meowed firmly.

"To who?"

Both Puddlepaw and Mistpaw turned to look at the newcomer. It was Spottedpaw. "Can I tell her?" Puddlepaw asked.

"Whatever," Mistpaw scowled.

"She and Lionpaw are fighting," Puddlepaw informed the tortoiseshell she-cat. She watched as Spottedpaw's eyes widened in shock.

"What?"

"Yeah, I know. They're beginning to seem hopeless to me," the gray cat sighed. "I've been trying to get Mistpaw to talk to him all morning. You think you could try and talk to Lionpaw?" She added in an undertone.

Spottedpaw looked doubtful. "I-I don't really know him. I guess I could try, though…"

Puddlepaw dipped her head gratefully. "Hey, it's the thought that counts," she smiled at her gentle sister before turning back to the headstrong one. "Could you just try? For me?"

"I can't even see why you care so much," Mistpaw huffed.

Why did she care? _Why did she care?_ Her sister had everything perfect! All the worst things she'd experienced, like the destruction of the gorge and the death of Beetlepaw, were all things other people were broken by, too. She had no unique problems. While Puddlepaw was drowning in a mass of Spiderpaw-related depression, Mistpaw was throwing away her wonderful relationship with Lionpaw.

"I'm your sister. I want you to be happy," Puddlepaw lied. She did mean that, but it wasn't the reason she was so stuck on the whole Lionpaw thing. She was just so jealous of them, and it was unfair that they could have what she couldn't and think nothing of it. They were ready to throw away her dream. Puddlepaw just had this—this _want_ to have a cat that she loved and who loved her. One to become one with and to maybe even have a family with…. But Puddlepaw would never leak that secret to anyone. Not even her sister.

"I'd be happy if you left it alone," Mistpaw exasperated.

Puddlepaw didn't have time to think of a retort as Spottedpaw and Lionpaw padded up to the pair. Puddlepaw moved to Spottedpaw's side, whispering so the other two couldn't hear her. "That was fast."

"Poor tom. He didn't need persuasion in the least," Spottedpaw murmured gently.

They watched quietly as Lionpaw and Mistpaw stood in an awkward silence. Every now and then Lionpaw would open his mouth as if to speak, only to close it tightly a few seconds later. Finally, the golden tom couldn't stand it anymore. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

Mistpaw stuck her nose in the opposite direction, not having it. "Please," Lionpaw continued, looking like his green eyes might spill over with tears at any moment. "Talk to me?"

The fluffy gray she-cat thought she saw her sister falter. She wasn't mistaken. She turned her bright green eyes to face that of Lionpaw. "What do you want to talk about?"

Puddlepaw could tell her sister was trying to act nonchalantly, but it wasn't working out the best. Mistpaw almost appeared to be trembling, hope brimming in her wide eyes as she watched the tom she thought she might love.

"I don't want you to be mad at me," Lionpaw whimpered. The macho tom was simply melting under the thought of not being with Mistpaw. "I'm not mad at you…couldn't we just get along?" He asked hopefully.

Spottedpaw and Puddlepaw watched eagerly as Mistpaw nodded, a weak smile playing on her lips. "Y-yeah. I'm sorry, too. W-we should just g-get along." The black she-cat nearly knocked Lionpaw over as she nuzzled him madly, purring loudly. The onlookers kindly averted their eyes from the two, turning to face each other.

"Geez, Lionpaw hardly had to open his mouth to get Mistpaw to forgive him. I wish she'd been so submissive when I asked her to talk to him," Puddlepaw meowed, stifling a giggle.

"I'm just glad they're together," Spottedpaw decided. "And, now that they're out of the way, I can work out what to do about you and Spiderpaw."

"W-what?" Puddlepaw questioned. "No. Don't do anything. Please, just leave it."

"And you thought Mistpaw was stubborn," Spottedpaw teased. "C'mon, Ravenstar just announced it's time to go.

Puddlepaw was shocked to realize that they had spent so much time trying to get the two apprentices to make up. The sun was shining over the twoleg nests now, climbing steadily towards sun-high as always. She began to plod along after the rest of the Clan. SkyClan appeared to have lost all hope.

The twoleg nests had been thinning steadily. Puddlepaw had been seeing less and less of the odd dens. Trees had begun to fill the empty spaces between the dens rather than fields. Could that possibly mean anything? Could they be drawing near the forest now? Surveying the Clan, Puddlepaw wasn't sure they could take much more. They had suffered so much—losing their home, their Clanmates, and now their hope. Would any more cats die before this was over?

"Hey."

The gentle mew startled Puddlepaw. At first she thought it was Spottedpaw. Turning to face the cat who had spoken, she nearly tripped when she saw Spiderpaw walking beside her. _Spiderpaw! _He had _talked to her_! Puddlepaw didn't even think that Spottedpaw might have encouraged this. Her heart was beating so loudly she half wanted to tell it to shut up in case Spiderpaw could here it. Overcome with emotion, Puddlepaw could barely speak, much less walk at the same time. She hardly managed to do the two, but this resulted in her hardly getting out her greeting. "Hi."

_Brilliant, Puddlepaw, really._

"Listen, I, uh, wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings about yesterday," Spiderpaw meowed awkwardly. Puddlepaw would have thought it was forced if it wasn't for the earnest gleam in his bi-colored eyes.

_He completely ignored you. Don't forgive him_.

"There aren't any," Puddlepaw promised.

"Really?"

_No, mousebrain. You tore me to pieces. I'm in shambles. There are absolutely hard feelings._

Puddlepaw nodded.

"That's good," Spiderpaw smiled, letting out a sigh of relief. "It would suck to have you mad at me. You're a great friend."

_Friend?_

_Hey, it's a start, isn't it?_

"Thanks," Puddlepaw purred. "You, too. A great friend, I mean."


	13. Chapter 13

Puddlepaw had lost track of how long the Clan had been travelling. They just plodded on day after day, stopping in various places to spend the night. She thought it may have been a fortnight, but it just as well could have been half. All the she-cat did was eat, sleep, walk, and talk. She mostly chatted with Spottedpaw—Mistpaw was too busy with Lionpaw most of the time. She talked with Spiderpaw more often than the two had before, but Puddlepaw could hardly go so far as to believe she had a really good chance of being his mate.

Sightings of twoleg nests were rare now. The shallow river gorge had been steadily flattening out, flanked by thick reeds and trees on either side. Puddlepaw had to admit that she liked it. She hoped that the forest would be like this, and that SkyClan could have a home like this. While she had grown up around barren rocks, she couldn't help feeling a pull towards the trees. She knew SkyClan fought and hunted in trees, but she had never wanted to be in between them this badly.

"How long do you think before we get there?" Puddlepaw asked her sister.

Spottedpaw shrugged. "Probably soon. It looks pretty forest-y here. The Clans have to be nearby."

"I suppose you're right. The forest can't go on for that long, and there are four Clans…" Puddlepaw responded.

The two padded along in silence for a while. Puddlepaw attempted the catch snippets of Mistpaw and Lionpaw's conversation, but they were too far ahead and the gray apprentice didn't think it was worth speeding up to eavesdrop. She thought about moving to talk with Spiderpaw, but the sleek black tom was meowing something to Copperspots, and Puddlepaw didn't want to interfere.

Puddlepaw was feeling a little crestfallen inside. The journey hadn't been nearly as fun and exciting as she had anticipated. She actually found her self quite bored for the most part. The cats around her had no unique news anymore. Her surroundings were falling into a usual pattern, and there was absolutely no excitement among the cats of SkyClan. Puddlepaw suspected that they all had feelings similar to her own.

She stumbled to a stop, bumping into Jayspots on accident. "Sorry," she mewed, ducking her head in embarrassment.

Looking around, Puddlepaw saw that the group had stopped beside a long twoleg barrier made of some sort of silver mesh. She could hear a roaring coming from within. She didn't think it was some sort of monster camp, so she peeked inside when the warriors weren't watching. Most of what she could see where piles and piles of logs, along with machines that were eating them. She turned back, horrified.

"What's that?" She asked Sagepatch.

Sagepatch shrugged. "A monster."

"Yeah, but what's it doing?" Puddlepaw persisted.

"I don't _know_, Puddlepaw," the mother sighed. "I'm not any more familiar with these surroundings than you are.

Letting out a quiet hiss of frustration, Puddlepaw turned her attention to Ravenstar, who was waiting for the rest of SkyClan to acknowledge him.

"It is very likely that the Clans reside beyond this point," the black tom announced. He paused as excited whispers traveled through the crowd of weary cats. The crowd suddenly appeared energetic and ready to proceed, which was quite a change from their attitude for most of the journey.

"Creekstone, Jayspots, Fawnstep, and Willowmist will be going ahead to look for cats. The whole of us might cause a commotion amongst the other Clans. We will remain here until the aforementioned cats have returned."

Nodding happily, Puddlepaw sat down. She was on the edge of the river, and she couldn't help admiring it. It seemed cleaner and fresher than the water downstream. There were more fish here. Puddlepaw spotted several flashes of silver in a handful of moments, which was much more than she had seen around the twolegplace.

"How long do you reckon we'll be waiting?"

Puddlepaw looked up and smiled at Spiderpaw. She didn't know if he knew she liked him or not. She felt like she was too obvious about it, but she sort of wanted him to know. "I hope not too long. I bet RiverClan is around here."

Spiderpaw grinned. "That's good," he meowed as he sat down beside her. His stomach rumbled. "Want to hunt a little?" he laughed.

"Sure!" Puddlepaw cried, perhaps a little too enthusiastic. "Fishing? The warriors probably don't want us going anywhere else."

"I could go for a fish," Spiderpaw decided, turning to face the river. Puddlepaw copied him, positioning herself so that she could see the fish clearly. She was disappointed when all the flashes of silver seemed to have all disappeared.

"Maybe we're doing it wrong," Spiderpaw suggested. Both of their shadows were darkening the water, but neither had the training to know that that scared the fish away. The two weren't going to give up until they smelled freshly caught prey behind him. A couple warriors had caught some. Puddlepaw trotted over, picking up a fat thrush.

"Want to share?" She asked.

"Ok," Spiderpaw nodded, less enthusiastic than Puddlepaw had hoped. She let him take the first bite, a little happier as he tore a large piece from the bite.

As the two finished their meal, the four cats Ravenstar had sent out returned—alone. Puddlepaw titled her head in confusion. Wouldn't the Clans have wanted to send some of their own to meet SkyClan? They didn't expect them to find a territory on their own, did they?

Ravenstar padded up to the troop of cats. "What happened?" He asked, curious at their disappointed looks.

"The Clans aren't here."


End file.
